Data / Federal rules / 2026-03255
Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Certification and Labeling Requirements for Rear Impact Protection Guards
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on February 19, 2026. It took effect on March 23, 2026.
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What the agency says
FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) to rescind the requirement that the rear impact guard be permanently marked or labeled with a certification from the impact guard manufacturer as required by the applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) promulgated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The certification label or marking provides motor carriers purchasing new trailers or new impact guards to replace damaged devices with a means to determine whether the equipment is certified as meeting the FMVSS. However, the labeling or marking requirement has proven problematic for motor carriers when the label or marking becomes illegible or wears off during the service life of the trailer or guard. This final rule eliminates an unintended regulatory burden on motor carriers without compromising safety, as it does not affect the applicable FMVSS. The final rule also rescinds a guidance document pertaining to illegible, incomplete, or missing rear impact guard certification labels.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-03255
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Transportation Department; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Published
- February 19, 2026
- Takes effect
- March 23, 2026
- Dates
- Effective March 23, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. FMCSA-2025-0107
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2126-AC81
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 393
- Topics
- Highway safety; Motor carriers; Motor vehicle safety; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
- Pages
- 4
Other documents from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
| Document | Type | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Clarification to the Applicability of Emergency Exemptions; Response to Petitions for Reconsideration 2026-20325 | Final rule | Oct 5 |
| Fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement 2026-17893 | Final rule | Sep 1 |
| English Language Proficiency; Out of Service Criteria 2026-16288 | Proposed rule | Aug 10 |
| General Technical, Organizational, Conforming, and Correcting Amendments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations 2026-14701 | Final rule | Jul 21 |
| Completed Inspection Report Disposition 2026-12450 | Final rule | Jun 22 |
| Removal of Self-Reporting Requirement 2026-12449 | Final rule | Jun 22 |
| Rescinding the Requirement for Electronic Logging Device Operator's Manual Located in Commercial Motor Vehicles 2026-12448 | Final rule | Jun 22 |
| Fees for Commercial Driver's License Information System 2026-09943 | Proposed rule | May 18 |
Everything from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · Rules on highway safety · Rules on motor carriers · Rules on motor vehicle safety · Published in February 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.